Golf hut arrangement

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns a golf hut arrangement comprising several golf huts arranged adjacent to each other, each of which has a floor panel and a covering panel, each with two narrow sides and two longitudinal sides, and where the floor and covering panels of neighboring golf huts are arranged adjacent to each other along their longitudinal sides. The floor panels and covering panels of all the golf huts are each formed as prefabricated components that are essentially uniform in shape, the narrow sides of which have a shorter length in the driving direction of a golf ball than each of the opposing narrow sides facing away from the driving opening of the hut, in such a way that a pre-determined number of golf huts will result in a partially closed or closed ring-shape arrangement, with a predetermined radius, of huts surrounding a driving range.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The invention concerns a golf hut arrangement of several individual golf huts arranged adjacent to each other, which can be particularly easily assembled and disassembled again, made smaller or extended, by using prefabricated components of a uniform shape.

[0003] 2. Description of Related Art

[0004] Individual golf driving range huts (hereafter referred to as golf huts) and arrangements of several golf huts are already described in the state of the art. The golf huts serve to protect the golfer from adverse weather conditions and are designed to allow him to practice driving on a driving range even, for example, in rainy or cold conditions. Exemplary, golf huts are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,861,680 and 4,889,342. These golf huts consist of a floor, side walls, a rear wall and a roof. Towards the driving range they have a driving opening, the size of which essentially corresponds to the entire front side of the driving opening, but which can also be made a little smaller for protection against the weather. The golf huts are usually equipped with heating or air-conditioning. Furthermore, several golf huts can be arranged in a row adjacent to each other.

[0005] A golf hut of the kind described above is also disclosed in GB-A-2,278,289. This hut has hinged side and ceiling panels.

[0006] The golf huts described in the state of the art have the disadvantage that they are fabricated from a large number of individual parts. On the one hand, this means a lot of time is needed when assembling the golf huts and high costs are incurred, and on the other hand, the result is that it is then difficult to make smaller or enlarge the number of golf huts required with a reasonable amount of effort.

[0007] A further disadvantage of golf huts erected in a row is that the golf balls driven lie scattered over a wide area and it therefore takes a long time to collect them again.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The object of the invention is to provide a golf hut arrangement that can be assembled and disassembled, or extended and made smaller, from the minimum possible number of individual parts with minimum time and cost. The area in which the driven golf balls lie from the golf huts of the arrangement should be smaller than with an arrangement with a comparable number of golf huts erected in a row.

[0009] The golf hut arrangement according to the invention consists of several golf huts arranged adjacent to each other. Each of these golf huts has a floor panel and a covering panel, each with two narrow sides and two longitudinal sides. The floor and covering panels of neighbouring golf huts are each arranged adjacent to each other with their longitudinal sides. All the golf huts of the arrangement according to the invention use components that are prefabricated and essentially uniform in shape. In other words, the golf huts in the invention are manufactured in modular construction, with the same construction for the floor panels for each of the golf huts and the same construction for the covering panels. The use of prefabricated components simplifies the manufacture and assembly of the golf hut arrangement, reduces the number of individual components and contributes to cost reduction when assembling and disassembling.

[0010] The floor and covering panels of each of the golf huts, which are used in the arrangement according to the invention, are designed in such a way that the narrow side in the driving direction—that is, the narrow side that comes to lie neighboring the driving range—has a smaller length than the opposite narrow side, which is arranged facing away from the driving range. This design of the floor and covering panels, if several of them are placed with the longitudinal edges neighboring each other and with the short narrow sides in the direction of the driving range, results not in a linear, but a curved arrangement. Here the floor and covering panel are proportioned in such a way that a predetermined number of golf huts forms a ring around a driving range with a pre-determined radius.

[0011] For safety reasons, in order to prevent golfers standing opposite from hitting each other with the golf balls they have driven, the radius of the driving range is preferably a minimum of 200 meters. In addition, this prevents mis-hitting of the golf balls from endangering the golfers in neighboring golf huts. However, the invention does not only concern a golf hut arrangement in which enough golf huts are used so that a ring-shaped and closed range is actually formed. In addition, the invention also covers arrangements in which fewer golf huts are assembled to form only a partial segment of a ring.

[0012] It is also within the scope of the invention that not only a circular ring is encompassed but a multi-cornered arrangement is also within the scope of the invention. It is therefore possible on the one hand to form the narrow sides of the floor and covering panel so that they are curved. From a technical manufacturing point of view however, it is preferred if the narrow sides and longitudinal sides are linear so that both floor and covering panel have a trapezoidal plan with narrow sides parallel to each other.

[0013] With the ring-shaped layout of the golf huts, the target area is smaller in which the golf balls driven from the huts come to lie, because all the golfers are driving in the direction of the center of the driving range surrounded by the golf huts. The golf balls driven are therefore easier to locate again than is the case with the golf huts erected in a row.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the floor panel of the golf huts is fitted with height-adjustable feet. In this way it is particularly easy, even when the same type of floor panels is used, to ensure an even arrangement of all the golf huts even if the ground is uneven. Furthermore, it is possible to arrange neighboring golf huts with staggered heights against each other. For example, several golf huts can be placed next to each other in an ascending, step-like manner so as to compensate for the height differences when erecting the golf huts in a sloping location.

[0015] It is especially preferred if the feet consist of two tubes inserted inside one another and moveable against one another. The outer tube is thereby placed in the ground and the inner tube is fastened to the floor panel. In order to facilitate the insertion into the ground, the outer tube is advantageously sealed at one end and has a tapered design.

[0016] The number of feet used per floor panel, as well as their size and thickness, is advantageously designed especially according to the size of the floor panel and the property of the soil on which the golf hut is to be erected. The height adjustment of the individual feet is carried out, depending on the gradient and unevenness of the ground, in such a way that the inner tube is more or less pushed far inside the outer tube and fixed in a suitable position.

[0017] The height can be fixed in various ways. However, it is preferred if concentric bored-through holes are present in both the inner and outer tube. The inner tube has a number of bored holes arranged above one another, which can be made to cover a bored-through hole on the upper end of the outer tube jutting from the soil. After finding a suitable bored-through hole in the inner tube, a fastening pin or bolt is pushed through the bored-through hole in the inner and outer tube crosswise through both tubes. It should be understood that a fastening pin also includes a fastening screw, which is tightened after the pin has been pushed through.

[0018] In order to prevent the outer tube from being inserted too deep into the soil, it advantageously has a flange jutting out over its outer circumference in an upper area beneath the bored hole for fastening the inner tube. With this flange, the outer tube lies on the soil and can therefore penetrate it no further. The bored-through hole is still freely accessible above the flange for fastening the inner tube.

[0019] The connection between the floor and covering panel of the golf hut can be made with the aid of side supports. In addition, or alternatively to this, the hut can also have side walls and/or a rear wall. As is the case with the floor and covering panel, the side supports, side walls or rear wall are manufactured as prefabricated components that are essentially uniform in shape for each of the huts. This reduces costs and also facilitates the assembly, as only a few individual components are required and all the golf huts can be assembled and disassembled in the same way.

[0020] Assembly and disassembly are particularly easy if side supports and/or side walls and/or a rear wall are fastened below each other and/or on the floor and covering panel by means of inserted or hinged connections. For example, it is possible to remove or re-hinge side walls according to requirements for individual golf huts with little effort. In this way it is possible to enlarge individual sections of the golf hut arrangement to many times the size of an individual golf hut and, for example, to make it useable for other purposes, which will be explained in more detail later. Because of the modular structure of the golf hut arrangement according to the invention, there is great flexibility in the structure and design of the arrangement, without this leading to a larger number of used components or increasing the manufacturing and installation costs.

[0021] In one embodiment of the invention, the side walls are hinged in mounting brackets on the side supports. The side supports can, for example, be inserted into insertion openings in the floor panel intended for this purpose. Insertion openings can also be present in the covering panel for inserting the upper ends of the side supports. Alternatively, the side walls can have suitable projections that are inserted into the appropriate insertion openings in the floor panel and/or covering panel and in this way connected to the floor and covering panel. Then separate side supports are not necessary. Of course, the opposite case is conceivable, whereby the side walls have insertion openings and the floor and/or covering panels have suitable projections. The rear wall can be fastened in the same way as the side walls. If desired, the individual components can also be fixed to each other by means of a fastener. Any known means of fastening is suitable here, such as securing bolts or pins and, in particular, screw connections.

[0022] It is possible that neighboring golf huts share side supports and/or side walls. In order to go from one golf hut to the next, these can have an entry or a door. Of course, it is also possible to fit the side walls with see-through holes or windows. The doors or entries in the side walls are advantageously situated in an area at the back of the golf hut, far from the driving opening. A wholly or partially surrounding corridor in the rear area of the golf hut arrangement can also be present. For this a partition with an entry or a door is installed in the golf hut, which can also be manufactured as a prefabricated modular construction component and fastened in the same way as described by means of inserted or hinged connections. The side walls can then either only reach this partition, or the side walls have the entries or doors described above in the area of the surrounding corridor.

[0023] For an entrance to the golf hut arrangement according to the invention there is advantageously an entry or a door in the rear wall of one golf hut. In an arrangement without entries or a surrounding corridor in the rear area of the golf hut arrangement, each rear wall has a passage or a door. In an arrangement with a surrounding corridor, in which case the ring of the golf huts is not fully closed, there must be no rear doors or entries, as access to the range is possible through the side entries or doors of the two outermost golf huts. However, doors or entries can also be present here in a rear wall or part of the rear walls of the huts. As an alternative to an entrance in the rear wall, the rear wall can also be entirely left out.

[0024] As already mentioned, individual golf huts can also be used in ways other than driving golf balls. Further types of use, for example, in the complex according to the invention are sanitary installations, changing booths, warehouse or storage rooms, rooms for technical installations such as heating, air-conditioning, electricity supply etc., rest rooms or a golf shop. If the space of an individual golf hut is not enough for this, two or more golf huts can be placed together to form a larger room by leaving the side walls out. The invention allows the creation of larger rooms as a result of the proposed modular construction in an especially simple and cost-effective manner. The additional measures needed, such as the installation of insulation walls or the insertion of windows, are possible with comparably little effort and at no greater cost.

[0025] The division of the rooms in the area of the golf hut arrangement according to the invention can be freely selected, but one example is that the entrance to the whole layout is placed so that the rooms that are generally to be used, such as changing booths, warehouse rooms or a golf shop, have to be passed before the golfer reaches the huts.

[0026] The materials for assembling the golf huts according to the invention can include all materials already used in connection with golf huts. A particularly preferred material is timber. Especially for the bearing components, in particular for the height-adjustable feet, metal can be used. Plastics can also be used, for example as material for parts of the floor, covering, side or rear walls or entirely for these components.

[0027] The invention also envisages fitting the golf huts with additional facilities usually found in them, particularly in order to increase comfort in the huts. This is especially the case with regard to the temperature in the golf huts. For this purpose, a heating, ventilation or an air-conditioning unit can be installed, as is known for example from the US patents described above. For the service conduits for lighting, heating, air-conditioning, ventilation etc., cable shafts can be arranged in the golf huts. These are advantageously integrated into one of the modular components of the hut from the start. For this, parts such as the covering, and in particular the floor panel are suited, whereby the cable shafts are advantageously installed so that the golfer cannot see them.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028]FIG. 1 illustrates a golf hut according to on embodiment of the invention;

[0029]FIG. 2 illustrates the arrangement of FIG. 1 in partial top view;

[0030]FIG. 3 illustrates a floor panel for use in the golf hut according to the invention in FIG. 1;

[0031]FIG. 4 illustrates the floor panel of FIG. 3 in a side view;

[0032]FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of the height-adjustable feet of a golf hut according to the invention, and;

[0033]FIGS. 6A and 6B shows side and top view, respectively, of a mounting aid for fitting up the height-adjustable feet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034]FIG. 1 shows a golf hut arrangement 1 according to the invention with two golf huts 2,2′ arranged adjacent to each other. Each of the golf huts 2,2′ has a floor panel 3 as well as a covering panel 4. The golf huts are arranged adjacent to each other in such a way that the inner longitudinal edges 3 c, 3 d, 4 c, 4 d of FIGS. 2 and 3 immediately border one another. The floor panel 3 and the covering panel 4 have the same form for both golf huts 2,2′. From their plan the panels are trapezoidal, whereby the longitudinal edges (3 c, 3 d and 4 c, 4 d respectively) each have the same length, although the parallel narrow sides differ in length. The narrow sides 3 a and 4 a, respectively, of the floor panels 3 and covering panels 4 are facing the driving range and have a shorter length than the rear narrow sides 3 b and 4 b. This results in a non-linear erection of the golf huts around the driving range. The size of covering panels 4 and floor panels 3 is proportioned in such a way that a certain number of golf huts result in a ring-shaped, closed arrangement around the driving range. The radius R is selected so that the drives of golfers standing opposite can no longer reach each other and golfers in the vicinity are not endangered by mishit golf balls.

[0035] In the embodiment shown, the short narrow sides 3 a, 4 a of the floor and covering panel are each 3 meters long, the long narrow sides 3 b, 4 b are each 3.081 meters and the long sides 3 c, 3 d, 4 c, 4 d are each 5.5 meters. Altogether 420 golf huts can be combined into a completely closed ring surrounding a driving range with a radius of approximately 200 meters.

[0036] Each of the golf huts 2,2′ has an outer side wall 7, which is fitted with timber planking. In addition, side walls are present in the area in which the golf huts border on each other. Yet these middle side walls have a window neighboring the front side supports 6 and also a door 10. This door serves as a passage from one hut to the next. Whereas the right hut 2 has a closed back wall 8—and therefore no rear entrance—the rear wall is missing in hut 2′, so that this hut is accessible from its rear area facing away from the driving range.

[0037] The fastening of the side and rear walls to the floor and covering panels is done by means of inserted connections. For this there are insertion openings 9 in the floor and covering panels, as can be seen, by way of example, for floor panel 3 in FIG. 3. Altogether there are six insertion openings 9 present, in which downwards extended beams of the side walls are inserted at appropriate points. The side walls can then be secured further, for example by screw connections.

[0038]FIG. 3 also makes clear diagrammatically the basic structure of a floor panel 3. On a beam framework 12, which is outlined by the lines running along the side edges and in the interior, a timber plank floor is fastened. In addition, there is a cable conduit 11 beneath the timber planks in the area of the lower narrow side of the floor panel 3 in FIG. 3. This conduit is for housing service conduits for lighting, heating or the like.

[0039]FIG. 4 shows a side view of the floor panel 3 on one of the narrow front sides. On the outer longitudinal beam of the beam framework 12 belonging to the floor panel inner tubes 5 a are fixed, and here on both ends of each of the outer longitudinal beams an inner tube. The inner tubes 5 a are part of the feet 5, with which the golf huts are anchored in the ground.

[0040] This fastening system is explained in FIG. 5 in more detail. Each of the feet 5 consists of an inner tube 5 a, which is fastened to the floor panel 3, as well as of an outer tube 5 b, which is inserted into the ground. The external diameter of the inner tube 5 a corresponds approximately to the internal diameter of outer tube 5 b, so that the inner tube can be inserted and pushed into the outer tube.

[0041] The outer tube 5 b is closed at its lower end 5 c and tapered to facilitate insertion into the ground. In the upper area of the outer tube there is a flange 5 d, which projects over the external circumference of the outer tube. The outer tube is inserted into the earth until the flange 5 d comes to rest on the surface of the soil. The flange prevents any further insertion of the outer tube into the ground. Above the flange the outer tube has a bored-through hole 5 f running crosswise through the tube.

[0042] The inner tube 5 a is also fitted with bored-through holes 5 e, which are present at small intervals to each other in an upper area of the tube. A suitable interval is, for example, 1 centimeter. When the inner tube is inserted into the outer tube, the bored-through holes 5 e can be made to cover the bored-through hole 5 f in the outer tube. Depending on which of the bored-through holes 5 e is selected, the inner tube—and therefore floor panel 3 also—project far above the ground. As the individual feet 5 of the golf hut can be adjusted independently of each other, unevenness in the ground can be compensated for so that each golf hut can be aligned so as to be even in itself and all the golf huts.

[0043] Fixing the two tubes in the desired position to each other is done by bringing the bored-through holes 5 e, 5 f into alignment with each other and inserting a pin or bolt. The material for these fastening pins or bolts and for the feet overall is advantageously a metallic material, the thickness of which is chosen so that it resists the anticipated stresses.

[0044] As the inner tubes 5 e of the feet 5 are preferably already fastened to the floor panel 3 when the modular construction parts are delivered for the golf hut arrangement according to the invention, it is necessary to drive in the outer tubes 5 b in pre-determined positions to one another into the ground. In order to facilitate this, the invention has a mounting aid. This mounting aid gives the distance L, which each of the outer tubes should be from one another. In the case represented in FIG. 6, the mounting aid 13 is displayed in broken form because of possible different lengths. FIGS. 6A and 6B each show a view of the mounting aid 13, whereby FIG. 6A shows a side view, FIG. 6B shows a top view of the mounting aid according to FIG. 6A, viewed from above. One half (drawn in FIG. 6A on the left) carries a tube 13 b, the cross-section of which corresponds to that of the inner tubes 5 a, so that it can be inserted into an outer tube 5 b. Alternatively, the tube 13 b can be formed so that it encompasses the outer tube from outside. The other side of the mounting aid has a birdsmouth 13 a, which can encompass an outer tube 5 b.

[0045] The longitudinal central axis of the tube 13 b gives the position in which the outer tubes are to be driven into the ground.

[0046] With the aid of the mounting aid 13, which can have various lengths according to requirements and dependent of the number and arrangement of the feet of the floor panel, at least four feet 5 (or outer tubes 5 b) of one floor panel 3 can be positioned optimally to each other and driven into the ground. Moreover, the mounting aid can also be used for positioning floor panels neighboring the feet. Erecting and securing the floor panels with the inner tubes 5 a in the desired position is possible after positioning the outer tubes 5 b in the ground without any problems. 

What is claimed is:
 1. Golf hut arrangement comprising a plurality of golf huts arranged adjacent to each other wherein each golf hut has a driving opening, a floor panel, and a covering panel, such that each panel has two narrow sides, and two longitudinal sides, whereby the floor and covering panels of adjacent golf huts are arranged with their longitudinal sides bordering each other, and wherein the floor panels and covering panels of all the golf huts are each formed as prefabricated individual components that are uniform in shape, the narrow sides of which have a shorter length in a driving direction of a golf ball than each of the opposing narrow sides facing away from the driving opening such that the plurality of golf huts will result in either a partial ring-shape or closed ring-shape arrangement, with a pre-determined radius, surrounding a driving range.
 2. Golf huts in accordance with claim 1, wherein the radius is at least 200 meters.
 3. Golf hut arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein the floor and covering panels have a trapezoidal shape with the narrow sides parallel to each other.
 4. Golf hut arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein the floor panel is fitted with height-adjustable feet.
 5. Golf hut arrangement in accordance with claim 4, wherein the floor and covering panels have a trapezoidal shape with narrow sides parallel to each other.
 6. Golf hut arrangement in accordance with claim 4, wherein each height-adjustable foot comprises an inner tube and an outer tube that are telescopically assembled into each other and can be moved relative to each other, whereby the inner tube is fastened to the floor panel and the outer tube is inserted into the earth.
 7. Golf hut arrangement in accordance with claim 6, wherein the outer tube has a closed, tapered end to be inserted into the earth.
 8. Golf hut arrangement in accordance with claim 6, wherein the outer tube has a flange projecting around the external circumference of the tube.
 9. Golf hut arrangement in accordance with claim 6, wherein each of the inner and outer tubes have concentric bored-through holes that are brought into alignment and into which a fastening pin or bolt is inserted.
 10. Golf hut arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein the floor panel and covering panel of each golf hut are each connected to each other by at least one of a side support, side wall or a rear wall, whereby the side support, side wall or rear wall for each of the golf huts are each formed as uniformly shaped, prefabricated components.
 11. Golf hut arrangement in accordance with claim 10, wherein the at least one side support, side wall or rear wall are fixed on at least one of the floor panel and covering panel with an inserted or hinged connection.
 12. Golf hut arrangement in accordance with claim 11, wherein at least one of the side support, side wall and rear wall are inserted into insertion openings into the floor panel and/or covering panel, and then secured with a fastener.
 13. Golf hut arrangement in accordance with claim 10, wherein neighboring golf huts share at least one of the side supports and the side walls.
 14. Golf hut arrangement in accordance with claim 10, wherein the side walls have an entry.
 15. Golf hut arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein in a rear area of the golf huts, away from the driving opening, there is a partition with an entry door.
 16. Golf hut arrangement in accordance with claim 10, wherein the rear wall of at least one of the golf huts has an entry.
 17. Golf hut arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein in least one of the golf huts there is at least one of a sanitary installation, a changing booth, a golf shop, a warehouse, storage room, and a room for technical facilities.
 18. Golf hut arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein the floor panel and/or covering panel is fitted with at least one cable conduit for housing service conduits for at least one of lighting, heating, air-conditioning and ventilation. 